The invention relates to the field of telephony and more particularly to a telephone line management system. It finds particular application in conjunction with providing various combinations of features related to management of a telephone line and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Telemarketing has increased exponentially in recent times. Many people targeted by telemarketers do not desire to receive or answer the telemarketing calls. Thus, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that may be used to block telemarketing calls and potentially reduce or eliminate future telemarketing calls.
One method for preventing some telemarketing calls is to have your telephone number removed from the dialing list of the telemarketer. This method, however, involves effort and is only partially effective because new calling lists are constantly generated which reestablish your number as a target.
Another method to block calls is to simply take your phone off the hook when telemarketing calls are undesired. Such a method is undesirable because the method does not permit desired calls to be connected and received. The method also causes the phone to emit a loud off-hook warning signal that may annoy the owner of the phone. Instead of leaving the phone off the hook, a person may use an answering machine or a caller identification (caller ID) device to screen calls. Both of these methods are undesirable because some people do not leave messages, and some numbers cannot be identified by the caller ID device.
In view of these deficiencies, devices have been developed to permit selective blocking of calls. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,388 discloses a method and apparatus for selectively blocking incoming calls. The patent discloses an apparatus that may be programmed to selectively block calls either by time block or by number. The user must, however, spend time to program the system and remember to activate it when the blocking function is desired. Such steps are generally undesired due to the effort required by the user. Thus, a method and apparatus that automatically blocks calls placed from a predictive dialing telemarketing system is highly desirable. Further, the method and apparatus should not require any preprogramming or activation steps. Also, the system must allow desired calls to be connected while still blocking undesired calls.
To more fully understand the concepts of the present invention, it should be understood that most large-scale automated telemarketing systems use predictive or auto-dialers to place the phone calls. These dialers obtain a number to be called from a computer database and place the telemarketing calls for the operator. If a call is connected and a live person responds, the system immediately connects the call to a salesperson, operator, or solicitor who makes a presentation. If the line is unanswered, busy, or answered by an answering machine, the system flags the number and returns to the number at a later time and recalls it. In this manner, the telemarketing system continues to call all programmed numbers until a live person answers. The system also does not waste time having the operator place unanswered calls.
In other situations where the called number has been disconnected or is otherwise no longer in service, the automated telemarketing system removes the number from its computer database. The computer differentiates the status of the number by recognizing special information tones (SITs) used in the U.S. telephone network. The network uses the SITs to provide information to computers in the network. SITs include three precise, sequential tones used to identify recorded announcements provided for ineffective call attempts in the telephone network. There are seven major SIT types, known as SIT1 through SIT7. A telemarketing system is designed to maximize outbound calls and maximize completed calls. Thus, most quality telemarketing systems are designed to recognize SITs. One of the most common SITs is SIT2 which is the intercept SIT. The intercept SIT is used to describe an uncompleted call attempt due to a nonworking number. The intercept SIT begins with a tone of 913.8 Hz that is played for 274 milliseconds. This tone is followed by a second tone of 1370.6 Hz played for 274 milliseconds and completed with a third tone at 1776.7 Hz played for 380 milliseconds. When this SIT is received by a telemarketing system using a predictive dialer, the system notes that the number called is non-working and removes it from its database so that it will not be called again.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,623, commonly assigned to Royal Appliance Mfg. Co., discloses a method and apparatus for defeating a predictive dialing telemarketing system. The apparatus includes a signal generator in the nature of an oscillator that is capable of creating a 914 Hz sine wave that substantially imitates the first tone of an intercept SIT (i.e., SIT2) used by the telephone network to indicate a nonworking number. The oscillator signal is amplified by an amplifier. The imitation signal is selectively sent in response to an incoming call when a controller closes a relay to connect the imitation signal to the telephone line. The controller is prompted to close the relay by an off-hook detector that indicates to the controller when a voice signal is established. In addition to this embodiment, the ""623 patent contemplated the capability to create any of the known SIT sequences in full or in part. The device produced in conjunction with the ""623 patent was powered using a conventional a.c. utility power adapter.
Devices capable of displaying caller ID information are increasingly common. In fact, caller ID services are one of a group of network-provided enhanced services known as custom local area signaling services (CLASS). Telecordia Technologies, Inc., Morristown, N.J., originally Bellcore, has defined three classes of caller ID services, known respectively as Type I, Type II, and Type III.
In the Type I service, a device for displaying caller ID information is equipped with a Frequency Shift Key (FSK) detector, a controller, and a display. When a call is placed to the phone, a Stored Program Control System (SPCS) server situated within the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) activates a corresponding FSK generator also situated within the PSTN to transmit a FSK signal encoding the caller ID information over the telephone line. At the device for displaying caller ID information, when a first ring is detected, the controller enables the FSK detector, which listens for an FSK signal. If an FSK signal is detected before the second ring, it is demodulated to obtain the caller ID information. That information is then displayed. If, however, the FSK signal is not detected before the second ring, the FSK detector is disabled.
In the Type II or Type III service, a device for displaying caller ID information is also equipped with a Customer Premises Equipment Alerting Signal (CAS) detector. When a call is received on the telephone line, the SPCS server first determines if the telephone line is in an on-hook or off-hook condition. In the on-hook condition, the procedure described for the Type I category of service is followed. In the off-hook condition, a call waiting/caller ID service is provided in which the server first activates a corresponding CAS generator situated within the PSTN to generate and transmit a CAS signal to the phone. The CAS detector at the device for displaying caller ID information, which has been previously enabled by the controller upon the occurrence of the off-hook condition, listens for the CAS signal. Upon detecting the CAS signal, the controller mutes the audio channel to other devices connected to the telephone line, and sends a Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tone, which serves as an acknowledgement signal. In the case of a Type II unit, the acknowledgement signal is a DTMF xe2x80x98Dxe2x80x99 tone; in the case of a Type III unit, the acknowledgement signal is a DTMF xe2x80x98Axe2x80x99 tone. Muting of the audio channel is required since the FSK signal in one implementation is transmitted at a range of frequencies, 500-2500 Hz, which is within the range of audio perception by humans.
The controller then enables the FSK detector, which listens for an FSK signal. If a FSK signal is detected before a predetermined timeout period, the FSK signal is demodulated and the caller ID information obtained and displayed. If there is a timeout before the FSK signal is detected, the controller un-mutes the audio channel, and resumes listening for a CAS signal.
Notably, no device currently combines a feature of sending a false SIT over a telephone line with displaying caller ID information. It is desirable to provide a device that includes the features of sending a false SIT over a telephone line while displaying caller ID information.
Thus, there is a particular need for device that combines the feature of sending a false SIT over a telephone line with displaying caller ID information. The invention contemplates such a device that overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned problems and others.
In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus in communication with a telephone line is provided. The apparatus includes a caller identification (caller ID) module operatively coupled to the telephone line for receiving and displaying a name and a telephone number of a calling party associated with a telephone call received over the telephone line and a false special information tone (SIT) generator module operatively coupled to the telephone line for sending a false signal on a telephone line substantially similar to at least a first part of a SIT in response to an incoming telephone call.
In another aspect of the invention, a communications device in communication with a telephone line is provided. The communications device includes a caller ID module operatively connected to the telephone line for receiving and displaying a name and a telephone number of a calling party associated with a telephone call received over the telephone line, a false SIT generator module operatively connected to the telephone line for sending a false signal on a telephone line substantially similar to at least a first part of a SIT in response to an incoming telephone call, and a controller in communication with the caller ID module and the false SIT generator module, wherein the controller controls the caller ID module and determines when the name and telephone number of a calling party is displayed, wherein the controller also controls the false SIT generator module and determines when the false signal is operationally coupled to the telephone line. In an alternate embodiment, the communications device includes a caller ID module, a false SIT generator module, a first controller in communication with the caller ID module, and a second controller in communication with the false SIT generator module.
In still another aspect of the invention, a telephone line management system in communication with a telephone line is provided. The telephone line management system includes a caller ID module operatively connected to the telephone line for receiving and displaying a name and a telephone number of a calling party associated with a telephone call received over the telephone line and a false SIT generator module operatively connected to the telephone line for sending a false signal on a telephone line substantially similar to at least a first part of a SIT in response to an incoming telephone call. In another embodiment, the telephone line management system may alternatively include an answering machine module operatively connected to the telephone line for sending an outgoing audio message on the telephone line and for recording an incoming audio message from the calling party or a telephone module operatively connected to the telephone line for answering an incoming telephone call on the telephone line and for communicating with the calling party.
One advantage of the present invention is that features of sending a false SIT over a telephone line and displaying caller ID information are combined in one device.
Still further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the description of the invention provided herein.